One thing that really stood out to me is that they decided to go ahead and do a rebuild of that locomotive, without addressing the cab strength issues highlighted in the preliminary report. Another thing that stood out was the truck that kept going well down the line on its own being confirmed in the animation.

Lot of talk about automatic train stop...... Here in the US, the pennsylvania railroad had automatic train stop with its cab signal system since even before amtrak. If an engineer did not comply to cab signals the brakes applied automatically.

I agree cameras & audio recorders should be required by law. It takes a lot of guesswork out investigating when the stuff hits the fan.

justalurker66 wrote:Perhaps unusual crossover moves should be added to the rulebook. But that would also need to define usual and dispatchers have their own preferences as to where to cross trains. What is usual on one trip may not be usual to the next dispatcher ... and depending on the size of the territory announcing every move (not knowing what each crew thought was usual) could be a burden that would cause other mistakes or delays.

I agree with you on this. Personal experience....heavy traffic one night forced a viable move for many trains, but an almost unheard-of move for mine. There is an automatic and a interlocking signal between 2 station stops in triple-track 261 territory. Normally I operate on track 3. If I'm closely following a certain train (which happens 1-2 times a week) I'll get an Approach Limited at the auto and an Approach Medium (or an Approach if I'm close enough) at the interlocking (in that stretch you'll get 2 signals before a stop). By the time I make the station stop he's long gone so away I go.

Now here is where it could have gotten ugly. There was a 15mph speed restriction on track 2 IN THE INTERLOCKING that day. I knew I was on that trains tail that night, and rolled up on the automatic showing an Approach Limited like usual and dropped her down to 45. All of a sudden I hear his conductor on the radio talking to the station manager....he's still in the station. Immediately gut check kicks in and I stand on the brakes....come around the curve to the interlocking and guess what? LIMITED CLEAR. I'm being routed to track 2 into the middle of a 15mph restriction! Got it down and all was good. Nothing from the dispatcher mind you. Should he have told me, yes. But in the end it lands squarely on me.....

While it may have been mentioned in the 2016 Hoboken wreck, it more closely replicates the 1996 MARC collision with Amtrak in Silver Spring, MD, where the MARC crew 'forgot' the last signal they passed had displayed APPROACH (approach next signal prepared to STOP) and took off from an intervening station stop as if the signal had displayed CLEAR (proceed at maximum authorized speed). The MARC train came around a curve at Maximum authorized speed to see a STOP signal displayed at the Control Point with an Amtrak train crossing over from one track to another. the MARC train collided with the Amtrak train, killing 8 people on the MARC train including the train and engine crew.